At age 19, Asa Butterfield already has stamped himself as a real force to be reckoned with. The English actor, who hails from London, has built a concise, quality-packed résumé working with the likes Martin Scorcese in the titular role of 2011’s 11-time Oscar-nominated Hugo. Additional prominent roles had him in Box Office successes like Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang, Ender’s Game and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.
Although he’s visited Toronto prior for the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival with X+Y, he makes a rare return to the city in support of his latest Film, the Sci-Fi/Romance, THE SPACE BETWEEN US. The Film which also stars Gary Oldman, Carla Gugino and Britt Robertson, centers on the first ever human born on Mars and his journey to earth. His existence very much is kept a secret following his astronaut mother’s premature death. He meets a girl named Tulsa (Robertson) online and makes it a mission to find her, and also his birth father. Time is of the essence as it is learned he has a medical condition which requires him to return back to Mars, leaving behind some important things at stake for him back on earth including Tulsa.
We had the pleasure of chatting with the brilliant Butterfield, who despite being under the weather after a rigorous press tour, still was a great sport. He tells us about his experience working on Peter Chelsom‘s THE SPACE BETWEEN US – what was required getting into his character Gardner’s mindset and the wonderment of discovering earth for the first time.
In preparing for the role, he also tells us what was involved in being physically convincing as Gardner, visiting earth for the first time. Butterfield says, “The change of gravity affects the way he’s walking. I had to practice and tie-on ankle weights and sandbags around my feet to weigh twice as much and walk around in that state.”. “We would film it, look at the footage and break down what works and looks interesting.”.
On working with the equally up-and-coming Robertson, he reveals “She started working two weeks into the shoot. She hit the ground running, she was great and took it in her stride and it really worked.”.
His greatest challenge? He tells us, “We had to shoot in very little time (seven to eight weeks). Every day we had to bring it. Everybody had to come with all their energy and know their parts – this Film more than others I have done.”.
Watch our interview with Butterfield here:
Butterfield next can be seen in World War I Drama JOURNEY’S END late 2017.
VVS Films release THE SPACE BETWEEN US Friday, February 3, 2017.
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong | Video editing: Marty Paler)
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